2014 / 7 Days of Pie: Apples and olallieberries take center stage in El Dorado County

Nov 20, 201410:32 AM

A look at the latest in local food, dining and drinking news

7 Days of Pie: Apples and olallieberries take center stage in El Dorado County

Alex Hernandez

Photo by Kelly Diepenbrock

The buttermilk apple pie from Abel's Apple Acres in Apple Hill

Fall is here, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If you're looking for just the right dessert to take to your holiday gathering, share with the office or just enjoy at home, we have you covered: Every day this week, we'll be dishing out some highlights from the region's seasonal bounty of pie, from pumpkin to pecan to fruit and beyond. Today, we head to El Dorado County for a pie two-fer at the Apple Hill institution Abel's Apple Acres and the Placerville bakery Sweetie Pie's. Enjoy Sactown's 7 Days of Pie!

THE PIE: Buttermilk apple pie from Abel’s Apple Acres

WHY IT’S SPECIAL: This apple pie—made with freshly picked apples from owner Evelyn Abel’s orchard in Apple Hill—is taken up a notch with the addition of a rich, tangy buttermilk custard (made with fresh butter cream and a secret blend of fall spices) poured over a mountain of crisp apple slices. A crumbly brown sugar streusel and flaky hand-crimped crust add a sweet crunch and contrast to the pie’s rich, creamy texture.

CHEF NOTES: “It all started because I had too much buttermilk in the kitchen, and I decided to experiment," Abel says. "Everybody loved it and it was like a happy accident. The buttermilk adds a rich creaminess that you don’t find in traditional apple pie. It’s a big hit with the customers and we sell out all the time.”

WHY IT’S SPECIAL: A close relative of the blackberry, the olallieberry is hailed for its tart, juicy flavor and is the main ingredient in Sweetie Pie’s signature pie. The pie is so popular that baker Margaret Poppelreiter says she makes three times as many olallieberry pies than any of the restaurant’s other varieties. Despite the increased demand (Poppelreiter says she anticipates baking 300-400 pies for Thanksgiving alone), Sweetie Pie’s still makes all its pies by hand with no machinery, using the same family recipes for the crust and filling from when the restaurant first opened in Placerville in 1992.

CHEF NOTES: “I go through hundreds of pounds of [olallieberries] to make sure each pie is packed with just fruit,” Poppelreiter says. “Also, our pie crust isn’t overworked, and that’s what really makes a difference. You know it will be flaky, and that’s why people come back.”

COST: $15.95 per pie

WHEN TO ORDER IT: For Thanksgiving, orderby Nov. 25 at 3 p.m.

WHERE TO FIND IT: Sweetie Pie’s. 577 Main St. Placerville. 530-642-0128. sweetiepies.biz